Dental articulator



UNITED STATES PATENT, oFFics.

JOSEPH HOMER, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

DEN'TAL ARTICULATOB.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosErH VHOMERI, a

' citizen of the United States, and a resident of Boston, in the county ofSufiolk. and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and Improved Dental Articulator, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. v

This invention relates to dental articulators which are used to assistin the formation of sets of false teeth.

An object of the invention is to provide I an apparatus which materially reduces the time and labor required to manufacture sets of false teeth.

Another object is to provide an apparatus by the use of which sets of falseteeth. may be manufactured which are more accurately constructed with respect to the dimensions of the patients mouth than heretofore, and

are so manufactured that va minimum annoy ance of the patient in the matter of trials results. i I a Another object is to-provide an apparatus whereby a set of false teeth may be made which, when inserted in'the patients mouth,

will result in the maintenance of natural facial expressions, both in repose and. in the movements of the features; 4 a

' Another object resides in the provision of [the particular construction and arrangement of parts whereby these objects are achieved. This construction and arrangement ofthe parts willbe apparent from consideration of the following description and claims when taken in connection with the drawings.

In the manufacture of false teeth or other dental models to be inserted in the mouth, it

. has been heretofore'customary to make bites in which the main attempt has been to proximate the distance of the jaws apart, without paying any particular attention to the effect of the dimensions ofthe bite with respect-to the fullness of the patients cheeks, and the natural position of his'lips, either in'repose or in movement. This-previous method has been laborious, in that it has requiredr repeated trials on the part of thedentist to test the trial plate and to correct the fullness of the artificial gums and the position of the teeth. V I

I proposeto overcome this difliculty and embarrassment by providing a dental articulator in which a practically complete model can be made which 'is accurate with respect not only to the relative position of the jaws Specification of Letters Patent. 'Patent ed lflay 3, 1 921. Application filed August 26, 1920TSerial lTo. 406,159. v I I i i but" is accurately formed with 'regard arrangement I avoid the'expenditure of considerabletime and labor in manufacture and time spent in the'experimental testingfof the modeliinthe patients mouth 7 The invention is illustrated in the drawings, of which- Figure 1 is a plan view of the articulator showing the'improved attachment;

f Fig.'2 is an elevation of the articulator showing a completed model; and

Fig. 3 is a View of a preliminary model I or wax bite taken fromthe patientsmouth.

'As, illustrated in the drawings. the invention comprisesan articulator having jaw portions 1 and 2 which are'hinged' together,

Qare provided with suitableapertures', such as 6, 7, 8 and 9, whereby the weight of theinstrument can be reduced "and whereby models may be anchoredin place during the] manipulation of the instrument; Either jaw portion 1 or 2 is provided with extending;

arms 10 and llon bothsides thereof, to which 1 arms are pivoted adjustable supports 12 and purposes. These jaws. 1 and 2 cooperate as at 3, by a suitable pin 4 and'whichf can be adjusted in any definite relative position bymeans-of an adjusting thumb nut .5 of any suitable type. ,Thesejaw portions 1 and with therear'portion 3, the pin l-fand the understoodin comiection with articulators as to this construction.

856884, issued June 11,1907.

adjusting thumb nut 5 in a manner well .In the operationof the method in connec- ,V

tion with which this apparatus is used, the

dentist places within the mouth of the patient a largeportion or bite of soft, wax upon which the patient is supposed to clamp his .jaws to a degree determined by the.

- dentist. This action results in the formation in the soft wax of an accurate outline of the gums of the patient and the roof and base of the mouth, as well as an impression of the curvature of the outer edges of the gums." The dentist, by manipulating the soft wax while in the patients mouth, can so form the outer portions of this wax with respect tothe lips and the cheeks as to retain'them in their natural relative positions as to fullness in the few fundamental positions of the lips and jaws in' repose and in movement. The line of repose of the lips can also be marked on the bite while in the pressions than the mere outline of the gums.

A view of this portion or wax bite is shown in Fig. 3, in which the line 22 represents the normal lip line in repose; the line 23 represents the lip line when the patient is laughing or talking; and the lines 24,25 and 26 represent the proper positions of certain major teeth. The side outlines of the portion or bite, such as A andB, represent the required fullness of the gums and the required lateral positions of the teeth .to give the proper appearance of fullness to the lips and to the cheeks of the patient.v This bite is then pressed over previously prepared models of the aws which are then anchored to 1 and 2 by soft plaster 27 and 28. A mass 'of soft plaster, such as'28 and 29, is placed on the supporting side hinges 12 and 13, and this mass of plaster is pressed against the sides of the portion or bite and retains therein an impression of the profile or outteeth are set. By and13 up to the wax plate or plates, facings line of the bite, which gives an indication of the profile or vertical curvature of the gums and teeth which should be attained in the completed model in order to produce the desired outlines of the features.

The bite is then removed from the plaster base portions 27 and 28 and wax plates, simulating'the gums, such as 30 and 31, are then built up on theplaster models 27 and 28; and in these wax plates the moving the arms 12 or teeth, during this operation, it can be readily and accurately determined whether the wax plate and the teeth are being formed in position to produce the proper vertical outline, and whether the various fundamental lines of the teeth and the gums are being preserved, which lines are noted on the profile model. After this wax model is completed, the process of preparing sets of false teeth is proceeded with in the usual 7 manner. 66

Bythis apparatus, I, therefore, have proporting ment' of thisdevice without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Whatl claim is 1; A dentalarticulator comprising a plur ality'of jaws pivotally connected and adjustable'relative to each otherandadapted to support "the dental articles being constructed, and a lateral support pivotally connected to one of the jaw portions and adapted to support any desired impression.

2. A dental articulator, which comprises a pair of main jaw portions or supports adapted to support a dental article being constructed, and a laterally movable jaw or support adjustably connected to one of the main jaw portions and adapted to support any desired impression. f 7

3. A dental articulator, which comprises main jaw portions adapted to support the dental article being constructed, movable auxiliary supporting means connected atthe 7 side of the main jaw portions, and means for adjusting'the movement'of the auxiliary supmeans with respect to the main jaw portions.

4. A dental articulator comprising main jaw portions adapted to support a dental mold of any desired form, and auxiliary sup- 1 porting means adj ustably connected with one of said main jaw portions and adapted to support an auxiliary'mold or impression.

5.A dental articulator comprising jaw portions for supporting molds of the gums and teeth, a plurality of hinged adjustable arms connected thereto and adapted to support impressions of the gums and teeth, and means for adjusting the position of these arms with respect to the jaw portions.

6. A dental articulator having main jaw portions which are relatively adjustable and adapted to support molds of the gums and teeth, comprising a plurality of hinged supporting arms connected thereto and laterally disposed with respect thereto, and means for adjusting said arms with respect to the jaw portions.

7. A dental articulator having a plurality of jaw portions adapted to supportmolds of the gums and teeth and to be adjusted in a verticalplane with" respect to each other," which comprises a plurality of hinged supporting arms connected to one of the jaw portions, and means for adjusting said'arms in a horizontal plane with respect to the jaw portions.

8. A dental articulator having a plurality of jaw portions adapted to support molds on vertical planeswith respect to each other,

portion disposed on each side of the jaw portions, a hinged supporting arm connected to the end of each wing portion, and means on said arms for adjusting the position thereof with respect to the wing portions and the aw portions.

9. A dental articulator having a plurality of jaw portions adapted to support molds on the gums and teeth and to be adjusted in a vertical plane with respect to each other, which comprises a laterally extending wing portion disposed on each side of the jaw portions, a supporting arm pivotally connected '15 to the end of each wing portion, and an adjusting screw on each supporting arm adapted to contact with the wing portion to adjustably position the supporting arm with respect to the wing portion and the jaw por- 20 tion.

JOSEPH HOMER, D. D. s. 

